Loire Valley Outdoor Activities: Cycling, Balloons and the River

The valley is flat along the river, and that makes it cycling country. It also flies balloons at dawn and dusk, when the air is calm. Looking at loire valley bike tours? Here is what you can do outside, and what is not sold.

Loire à Vélo: the 900 km route past the châteaux

Loire à Vélo is a signposted cycle route of about 900 km, from Cuffy near Nevers to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the Atlantic. Through the middle valley it passes Blois, Amboise, Tours and Saumur, and you can ride an hour of it or the whole thing.

The route's official site sells suggested trips, from a single guided day to a week from Cuffy to Blois. Regional trains carry bikes, so you can ride one way and come back by rail. Château de Chambord's park alone has more than 25 km of cycle paths, about 6 km of them on the route.

Guided bike days: Chinon, Saumur and Chenonceau

A guided ride adds the parts a map cannot: a picnic set out for you, cellar doors that open on time, and someone who fixes the chain. Three rides run through the valley.

Hot-air balloons: sunrise and sunset flights

Balloons fly when the wind drops, which in practice means early morning or early evening. The flights here take off near Amboise and near Chenonceau. Plan three to four hours from meeting to return, with about an hour in the air; the rest is inflating, landing and packing away.

Every flight depends on the weather on the day. Do not book it for your last evening, so a cancelled flight can move to another day. Weight limits and minimum ages apply, and each listing states them. The month-by-month picture is on Loire Valley weather.

On the water: rowing boats under Chenonceau

The simplest way onto the water is at Château de Chenonceau. Its own site rents rowing boats on the Cher at €5 a person, and you row under the arches of the gallery. Ask at the château on the day whether the boats are out.

For the Loire itself, the riverside stretches of Loire à Vélo keep you beside the water all day. Several balloon flights also cross the river, which is the widest view of it you will get.

Horse riding and barges: what exists, and what is not sold here

People search for Loire Valley horse tours and Loire Valley barge tours, so here is the plain answer: no such tour is sold here. We found no bookable horse-riding or barge product with reviews to set beside the rest. The Château de Saumur houses a horse museum, which is the nearest you will get on a visit.

If you want a slow river day instead, the Chenonceau rowing boats and a riverside ride are the realistic choices.

Outdoor activities compared: time, fitness and season

Every option below works for a first visit. Pick by how much of the day you want to spend outdoors and how early you are willing to get up.

The Segway ride in Amboise takes an hour and suits anyone who can balance, from age 12. It passes the royal château without going in. For the châteaux themselves, read Loire Valley châteaux.